NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

Favour

An English name meaning "kind act, help, or approval bestowed".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 107 boys.

Favour is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Favour popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1819, with 16 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 43 births.

This profile covers 488 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 2003 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 37% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 486 living people in the UK are called Favour. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Favour ranked #1819 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 16 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2009, when 43 girls were registered as Favour.
  • Favour is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 486 living people in the UK are estimated to have Favour as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 82.0% of Favour registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1819

2024

Births in 2024

16

Latest year

Peak year

2009

43 births

Estimated living

486

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Favour

In England and Wales birth records, Favour has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 18.0% of registrations are for boys and 82.0% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

18% boys
82% girls
Boys107 (18.0%)Girls488 (82.0%)

Favour registered for boys

  • Ranked #2,921 in 2024
  • 7 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2011 (13 births)

Favour registered for girls

  • Ranked #1,819 in 2024
  • 16 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2009 (43 births)

Meaning

What does Favour mean?

The name Favour is derived from the Latin word "favor", which means "grace" or "kindness". It originated as an English word during the 16th century and was initially used as a term to describe someone who had received a special blessing or favor.

The earliest recorded use of Favour as a given name dates back to the late 16th century in England. It was initially more common as a surname, but gradually gained popularity as a first name, particularly among Puritan families who wanted to express their religious beliefs through their children's names.

One of the earliest known individuals with the name Favour was Favour Inman, an English Puritan who lived in the 17th century. She was born in 1640 and is recorded in parish records from Gloucestershire.

Another notable figure with the name Favour was Favour Fell, a Quaker minister and writer who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. She was born in 1657 and was a prominent member of the Society of Friends, publishing several works on Quaker beliefs and practices.

In the 19th century, Favour Curry Todd, an American teacher and abolitionist, gained recognition for her efforts in promoting education and advocating for the abolition of slavery. She was born in 1829 and worked tirelessly to establish schools for African American children in the South.

Favour Nolley was a British author and poet who lived in the early 20th century. Born in 1885, she published several collections of poetry and was known for her vivid descriptions of nature and the English countryside.

In more recent times, Favour Ofili, a Nigerian artist and sculptor, has gained international acclaim for her work exploring themes of identity, culture, and gender. She was born in 1976 and has exhibited her sculptures and installations in galleries around the world.

While the name Favour has its roots in English and Latin, it has also gained popularity in other cultures and languages, often with slightly different spellings or pronunciations. However, the underlying meaning of grace, kindness, and blessing remains consistent across its various forms and usages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Favour over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Favour in England and Wales, from 2003 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Favour, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 16 births in 2024, compared with 43 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
013263851200320132024

Decades

Favour by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Favour was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #2426 59 5
2010s #1456 240 10
2000s #1401 189 7

Notable bearers

Famous people named Favour

  • Favour Fawunmi

    association football player

    English association football player (born 2006)

    2006-

Related

Names similar to Favour

FAQ

Favour: questions and answers

How popular is the name Favour in the UK right now?

In 2024, Favour was ranked #1819 for girls in England and Wales, with 16 births registered.

When was Favour most popular?

The peak year on record was 2009, with 43 babies registered as Favour in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Favour?

An English name meaning "kind act, help, or approval bestowed".

How many people are called Favour in the UK?

A total of 488 babies have been registered as Favour across the 22 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.